Beneath Curiosity
by Pristine Harbinger
Summary: The gang decides to take a break on the Tao Rest House, only to find themselves in the middle of a tragic love story… that happened 1000 years ago! Why are Ren and Pirika being haunted? Will they uncover the mystery before history repeats itself? renxpiri
1. Going On a Trip

A/N: Hey, since you guys all said you wanted me to write more… Here it is… And this time, it's a fic starring Tao Ren! Since somebody I know that I won't mention here (don't worry Lorney, I won't tell them you have a crush on Ren! Oops…) asked for it, I made this crazy fic. Next time, please say please.

Disclaimer: I don't own SK… yawns…

**Chapter 1: Going On a Trip**

_Just when I thought I'd be getting a well-earned rest, these nuisances tag along! Ingrates…_ Ren threw all of them, a nasty look.

"Ooh… look at that! And that!"

"Horo! Stop it! You're embarrassing me!" Pirika nervously looked at Ren and quivered on her seat.

"It is indeed a fine day for traveling. I am glad Short-pants allowed us to go on this trip," Ryu hung on the back, looking like he was taking a nap.

"Yeah, we all needed a break, didn't we?" Yoh leaned on his seat as well and placed his walkman over his ears.

"I couldn't agree more," Manta smiled at his best friend.

"Hmph…" Anna sighed, "Even if it's obvious you still need your training, a break would also do us good. After this, you better show some progress, or you know the consequences."

"We're nearly there, Ren," Jun told her brother who was sulking in the driver's seat.

Everybody sighed; apparently all of them were relieved. They've been traveling off-road in a Range Rover, with Jun behind the wheel, for nearly three excruciating hours. All of them, except Anna of course, started to fidget a bit excitedly. The road to the Taos' rest house… er… mansion, was a challenging one, even for people like Yoh, Anna, Manta, Horo Horo, Pirika, Ryu, Jun and Ren. They were cruising inside a very thick forest with a very narrow and bumpy road two hours ago. Now, road had turned a bit smooth and a bit wider.

"Are we there yet?" Horo grumbled.

"Nearly," Ren muttered under his breath, "Don't you ever shut your trap, snow boy?"

"Nope," Horo grinned mischievously.

"We're here!" Jun exclaimed and everyone came to life at once as he entered a Chinese gate that closed behind her.

"Whoa..." Horo's mouth fell open.

Everybody stared intently at the sight before them. It was a huge Chinese-style mansion with football field-sized ground. There were woodlands surrounding the clearing and a huge swimming pool in the back. Jun brought the Range Rover to a stop in front of the mansion and everyone got out excitedly.

"Pick up the bags, Yoh," Anna ordered, "And as soon as you get in the mansion, I want everything in my room, got it?"

"Yes, Anna," Yoh frowned.

The rest began to unload their backpacks and enter the eerie house. They found themselves facing a great hall with a huge staircase on the far end. Above them hung an enormous glass chandelier and positioned around the room were antiquarian Chinese vases and artifacts. There was a door on the far right that led to an elegantly decorated dining room and a corridor on the left that led to more rooms and a training facility. Waiting for them in the great hall was a short, old Chinese man and a teenage Chinese girl.

"Welcome back Miss Jun, Master Ren," the old man bowed, so did the girl, "And we are honored to meet your friends."

"They're not my friends," Ren muttered.

"Oh, sorry, Master Ren," the old man bowed again and turned to the girl, "This is Lun-Lun, she'll be your guide around the house and your attendant 24 hours a day."

"Ni-hao! I'm glad to meet you all," Lun-Lun, a dark-haired, dark-eyed, cheery girl smiled at them, Horo in particular, "Come, I will show you to your rooms."

Lun-Lun took them up the staircase and everyone fell into silence, except for Horo and Ryu who were giving comments on everything they passed. Ren shushed them by giving them both a poke of his kwan-dao. Lun-Lun gave Anna and Pirika the room of Ren's great, great grandmother. Yoh and Manta were in the room across Anna and Pirika's. Ryu and Horo were beside Yoh and Manta's. Ren and Jun were in the largest room across the corridor.

"I trust you'll be at home here, please enjoy your stay," Lun-Lun bowed at all of them before they got in their rooms, "Dinner will be ready by six."

"What's wrong, Ren?" Jun asked as they both got in their room, the Tao family master bedroom, "You seem a bit distracted."

"I hate this house," Ren muttered, "Everything in it annoys me, and everything in it makes me remember. I just hate it."

"Uncle En is defeated, Ren, remember?" Jun tried to console her brother, "I don't see anything for you to be upset about."

"Yeah, right," Ren rolled his eyes, "Just leave me alone, ok!"

Ren exited the room and slammed the door on Jun's face. He walked down the corridor and ran into Pirika who was just exiting her own room. Ren saw Pirika and felt something jolt inside his stomach, though he didn't know why.

"Hey, Ren!" Pirika turned to him, smiled and waved.

"Erm… Hello…" Ren, who was really irritated, strangely began to calm down on the sight of her.

"I'm going to explore the house, Anna wasn't in the mood so I'm going by myself," Pirika told him, "Wanna come?"

"I… er… um…" Ren stammered weirdly, "I… uh… have to go see Yoh and Manta… I'll… uh… see you in… uh… dinner…"

"Oh," Pirika looked a bit crestfallen, "Ok then… See you!"

Pirika walked away from Ren and he frantically entered Yoh and Manta's room. Yoh and Manta seemed equally surprised at the sight of him.

"Uh… Ren? Everything ok?" Yoh asked and raised an eyebrow.

"Whay is everyone asking me if I'm ok!" Ren suddenly yelled at them, "Nothing's wrong, ok! I hate this trip."

Ren left the room and slammed the door again behind him.

"What's up with him?" Manta wondered.

"Beats me," Yoh shrugged, "Maybe it was just the trip here, he… Zzzz…"

"Huh? Yoh's sleeping on his feet again."

Ren stood on the corridor in a very bad mood indeed. He grumbled all the way to the staircase and started his descent towards the training room. Suddenly, a scream pierced the still air.

"Help meeeeeeeeeee!"

_That sounded like… Pirika!_

A/N: Uh-oh… what could've happened to Pirika? Anyway, I'm not sure if it's Pirika or Pilika, I'm a bit confused about that bit… So would anyone please correct me if I'm wrong in your reviews! Thanks a lot for the people who reviewed my last ficcie, First Snow! Anyway, this fic's gonna be a lot crazier so just keep on reading and reviewing!


	2. History Goes A Long Way

A/N: I won't mention in this chappie that Lorney has a crush on Ren… oopsie… Anyway, here's the next installment of Beneath Curiosity… Hope you guys like it!

Disclaimer: I do not own SK and all that go with it… So be it… Domo.

**Chapter 2: History Goes a Long Way**

"Pirika!" Horo got out of his room almost at once and began looking for his sister, "Pirika, where are you!"

Ren climbed back up the staircase and frantically searched the corridors. He didn't notice, but his heart was thumping really fast as he did. Pirika's screams continued to echo.

"Pirika!" Everybody was soon shouting; even Lun-Lun had been aroused.

"I think it's coming from in here," Morty, who had the sense to shut up and listen, pointed to a room down another corridor.

Everybody rushed to the room and Horo kicked open the door. Pirika was sitting on the floor with her eyes closed in the middle of the room and was shouting her guts out.

"Pirika!" Horo rushed to his sister's side and hugged her tightly, "It's ok… I'm here… you're safe now…"

Pirika immediately stopped screaming and was sobbing uncontrollably on Horo's shirt. Everyone gathered around them.

"What happened?" Jun asked anxiously.

"I better call grandpa, he'll know what to do," Lun-Lun hurried out of the room and down the staircase.

"Tell us what happened so we can get this over with," Anna, who had looked uninterested from the beginning of the commotion, said.

"I saw a poltergeist… She tried to… to hurt me…" Pirika stammered.

"A ghost?" Ryu's eyebrow was raised, "Aren't we a bit too acquainted with ghosts here? It is a very strange phenomenon."

"Well, it was scary, ok!" Pirika stammered suddenly, "The ghost really was going to kill me, but at the same time…"

"What?" Horo cradled his sister gently.

"She was…"

"What happened?" Grandpa suddenly came in the room and took a look at Pirika.

"She saw a ghost," Anna answered while picking the dirt off her nails and leaning on the doorway.

"She… what?" Grandpa too looked skeptical, "Aren't you supposed to be Shamans?"

Ren looked down at the scene, he was silent until now. He thought it all pathetic, but found himself getting a bit tense from looking at the crying Pirika.

"Um…" Lun-Lun stood timidly with Anna on the doorway, "Dinner's waiting downstairs, can we talk it over there?"

"We better do that," Yoh said.

"Who died and made you leader?" Horo said sarcastically, "My sister's scared to her wits end here!"

"I'm ok now, Horo, really," Pirika, although she still looked a bit shaken, stood up and began walking away.

The others left the room hurriedly, wanting to answer the calls of their stomachs. Yoh, Anna and Ren stood inside the room, they had never moved from the spot where they had stood.

"So, you feel it too, huh?" Yoh looked around, his hands on his pockets.

"Naturally, I can feel its presence," Ren told him, "It's a Tao. And it's really angry."

"How do you know what its feeling?" Yoh asked.

"I'm a Tao," Ren said, "Our family has natural instincts to stuff like this. Plus, this was my great, great, great, great, great, great, great-"

"Are you done yet?" Anna sighed.

"-grandmother's room."

"Whatever scared Pirika, it's still in here," Anna said, "But right now, all I want to do is to eat. Let's go, Yoh."

"Yeah, whatever's in here, it can't harm us, right?" Yoh had a silly smile on his face, "It's just a ghost."

The two of them left, leaving Ren alone in the room. He can still fell it… And its anger was rising...

_Whoever, whatever it was, it better not scare Pirika like that again._

The huge dining room was really noisy despite the current happenings as Ren entered. Only Pirika seemed to have her mouth shut. Ryu was cracking up with his bad jokes as usual to Jun. Kororo, Horo's Guardian Ghost was making ice sculptures in the air for their amusement. Lun-Lun seemed really impressed and was turning red every time Horo shot her a smile. Anna was barking instructions to poor Manta.

"Have you guys all forgotten what had happened back there?" Ren asked in annoyance.

The others stared at him as though they had seen him in a new light. Pirika also stared at him in gratitude. Grandpa cleared his throat.

"I suppose you want to know who the ghost was," Grandpa told them.

"Who? You know her, Grandpa?" Manta said, interested.

"You're smart, you didn't use the word 'it'. Of course, all the Taos know her," Grandpa said, "And I do too, even if I don't have Tao blood."

"Except me," Ren grumbled.

"Who is she, Grandpa?" Pirika asked eagerly.

"Like I care," Anna said and stood up, "I'm going up. If anyone disturbs me, I'll be as angry as that ghost woman would be."

Anna left without anyone complaining. Grandpa went ahead with his story.

"Her name was Lian Tao, and she was the best _itako_ in the family at that time," Grandpa said, "She was only three when she started to summon spirits perfectly, even surpassing her superiors. Not only that, she grew as gentle as a river lily and as proud and steadfast as a dragon.

"Being raised by the Taos, she was cut off from the outside world, not knowing anything except her little room in this house where she devoted herself to honing her skills.

"Tao History tells us that Lian committed suicide in that very room, though I don't know why. This is the end of my knowledge about Lian."

"That is the end of yours," Jun suddenly piped up, "But that is the start of mine."

"You know about this, Jun?" Ren was apparently surprised at Jun's participation, "How did you know about Lian?"

"Mother told me once," Jun said, "Anyway, from what she told me, Lian was turning eighteen when she killed herself. Being cut away from the outdoors, she was curious about what lay outside the security of this Tao home. One night, she sneaked out of the room where she felt secure for nearly 18 years.

"She went to the nearby village and explored the place for herself. She discovered that this village was also from the Ainu lines of Japan.

"In the village, she met a boy named Kino who showed her the world as he knew it. Eventually, they fell in love with each other. But knowing the Taos, they'd rather die than give Lian to an Ainu peasant boy. They wanted Lian to marry a Shaman, to make sure that the blood line was pure of magic.

"Lian didn't take this too nicely and killed herself. Kino couldn't take his own guilt and was also eventually found dead in front of this house, asking for Lian. And that's how this story ended and how this house became haunted. Tragic isn't it?"

"So, was the Ainu bit why she tried to kill Pirika?" Horo asked.

"I think, that's up to us to find out," Ryu rubbed his chin.

"I like a good mystery!" Manta exclaimed.

"I wouldn't meddle in the spirit's affairs if I were you," Grandpa warned them, "But of course, it's still your choice."

"But we need to keep Pirika safe," Horo told them.

"I don't want you guys to get into any trouble for me," Pirika said, standing up from her chair, "I'm going upstairs. I'll see you in the morning."

As soon as Pirika left, Ren also stood up.

"Of course, we wouldn't follow what she said, would we?" Ren heard Horo say.

_Of course._ Ren thought as he stalked Pirika up the stairs.

"Ren?" Pirika stood in front of the door to her and Anna's room.

And why is Ren and Pirika in the middle of it all?

"I just… uh…" Ren felt his stomach jolt again, "I just wanted to make sure… you're… uh… ok now..."

"I'm fine, thanks," Pirika smiled at him, "Goodnight, Ren."

"Goodnight, Pirika."

A/N: Whew… that was a hell load of crap wasn't it? Anyway, I'm still putting the pieces together in my head and deciding how it should end… But it'll definitely get a bit crazier in the next chappies! And, oh, yeah, this time, the story goes to my Francis! It's all yours so feast on it!


	3. Wandering Melodies

A/N: Oh yeah, I won't say that Lorney has a crush on Ren AND… Eric is macho ( Echo-guy: cho… cho… cho… cho…). Since Mother's Day has just passed, I want to dedicate this chappie to my "kids" Gee and Louise… And as usual, to Francis… You guys really rock! Feast on this crap… er… chappie! O.o

Disclaimer: I so do not own Shaman King

**Chapter 3: Wandering Melodies**

The sunlight streamed through Ren's window as he lay awake in bed early in the morning. He heard the sound of torrential showers of water from inside the bathroom. Jun evidently had a morning shower. It was also getting very noisy outside and it seemed like the others were making their way down to breakfast.

"I'll be going downstairs, Ren," Jun told him, her hair was still down and very wet.

"Ok, go ahead," Ren said to Jun, who was wearing a short version of her black and green cheongsam and was now styling her hair up.

"You seem preoccupied, Ren," Jun told him, "Is there something in your mind?"

"I was just thinking of what happened last night," Ren answered.

"I thought you didn't care, Ren," Jun smiled, "This is a bit unexpected of you."

Jun left him in the room and Ren made his way towards the shower. He stripped off his clothes (N/A: I'm not looking! O.o) and turned on the shower. He felt the cold droplets making in contact with his body as the events of last night came into mind. He didn't know why he was focusing on it, he just did. Pirika's crying face came into his mind and he felt the same jolt in his stomach again.

Suddenly, the bathroom went icy cold; as if a gust of Siberian wind had just blown into Ren's body. It was strange since he had turned on the hot water shower. He shivered and turned off the shower, but the cold was still there. He wrapped a towel around himself. He felt something strange… something sad and sorrowful...

He turned to the mirror to comb his hair… but it wasn't his face who he was gazing at. It was of a beautiful girl with long, dark hair and beautiful, pleading dark eyes… Pleading, crying eyes… In fact, she looked exactly like…

"Ren?"

Ren blinked and the image was gone from the mirror, only his familiar, yellow-eyed, purple-haired self was in it. He quickly put on his shirt and his "short pants" and combed his hair.

"Ren, are you still in there? Can I come in?"

Ren fled from the bathroom and found Pirika sitting on his bed, which was nearer to the door. The usual glow from Pirika's eyes seemed to have dimmed and she had a tired, tear-stricken face.

"I felt it," Pirika said softly, "I know you saw her too."

"I did," Ren answered as he looked at her seriously.

"She was beside me… All night…" Pirika shivered, "It was so cold… And she whispered terrible things to me… I don't know Chinese, but somehow… somehow… I understood her… And she…"

Pirika wasn't able to finish what she was saying. Her eyes suddenly grew wide, and Ren knew why.

_Hush little baby, don't say a word,_

_Mommy's gonna buy you a mockingbird…_

If that mockingbird don't sing,  
Mommy's gonna buy you a diamond ring…  


A haunting melody was playing around and the singing of a woman was heard. Ren and Pirika stared at each other.

"I think it's time for us to go and have some breakfast," Ren gulped, not knowing why he was showing signs of weakness at Pirika.

"We better," Pirika was breathing so hard that Ren feared that she was going to have a heart attack anytime soon.

Ren grabbed Pirika's hand and they both sprinted out the room and down the staircase. They stopped at the foot of the stairs and they were clutching each other's hands tightly. Pirika seemed absolutely terrified and out of breath and Ren had composed back to his calm self. Lun-Lun suddenly went into the room through the dining room door and Ren let go of Pirika's hand.

"Why aren't you having breakfast yet?" Lun-Lun asked them cheerfully, "The others are almost done."

Lun-Lun walked away and they entered the dining room. Horo was now leaving the room very quickly and gave Pirika a smile before leaving. The others were still in their seats, eating porridge and munching toast with strawberry jam. They stared at Pirika and Ren, obviously seeing them for the first time together. Pirika took her seat beside Anna and began to eat; Ren did the same as well.

"I wonder if the old Ainu village is still there," Yoh wondered out loud.

"Yes, I wonder," Ryu echoed.

"If I were you, the smart thing to do would be not to meddle in the spirits' affairs," Grandpa suddenly came in the room, "Did you not wonder why we didn't let you sleep in single rooms?"

"Yeah, I was hoping you'd bring that up," Manta said, "It was getting really stuffy inside our room."

"I didn't want the wandering spirits to harm you," Grandpa said solemnly, "It's better that way. I suggest you not to go to the old Ainu village, but I can't really stop you, can I?"

Grandpa left with a very great sense of foreboding settling over the group, except for Anna and Ren who were eating quietly.

"So, when do we set off for the village?" Ryu asked them.

"Right away," Yoh grinned, "Let's get Horo. You coming, Anna?"

"Hmm?" Anna gulped down some chocolate milk, "Sure, I don't have anything better to do, anyway."

"I'm going to the gym," Ren stood up and left the others.

"Ren, we're supposed to be having a break, remember?" Jun called out after him.

Ren grabbed his Kwan Dao which was propped on the wall of the gym with Yoh's samurai sword, Horo Horo's snowboard and Ryu's wooden sword. He began to exercise vigorously. The wind slashed at his face as his body moved to perfect rhythm with his surroundings and everything was calm. Each movement was a fluid flow and each gesture was art in itself. But as Oscar Wilde once said, all art is quite useless.

CRASH!

"Oh, for the love of Pete!"

"Pirika?" Ren saw the Ainu's face once again, this time cleaning up a mess she made on the gym floor, "Who is this Pete person? Someone I should know about?"

"It's just an expression, Ren," Pirika wiped off the juice from the floor and picked up the soiled cookies, "I was just baking and I decided to bring you some cookies."

"Didn't you go with the others to the Ainu village?" Ren asked, sitting down on the floor and munching Pirika's cookies.

"I'd rather stay here, I might end up being attacked again," Pirika gave out a nervous laugh.

"Mmm… These cookies are really good…"

"Really? Wow, thanks!" Pirika beamed as she sat down beside him, "Nobody ever really commented about my cooking that way."

"Yes, really," Ren had begun to smile unknowingly, but ended up twitching his mouth into an awkward position.

_Oh hell, what am I thinking? What am I even doing?_ Ren thought.

Suddenly, a cold gut blew in the room and Pirika shivered. Her breathing suddenly came out in gasps, as if she were choking. The same haunting song was heard again, like it was trying to continue the interrupted melody earlier that day.

_If that diamond ring turns brass,  
Mommy's gonna buy you a lookin' glass…_

If that lookin' glass gets broke,  
Mommy's gonna buy you billy goat…

The singing gradually weakened, as if the singer was going farther away.

"Let's follow it!" Pirika, although at the end of her wits, bravely said.

"What? Are you serious?" Ren muttered as he followed Pirika out the gym and up the staircase.

They went up the staircase, to the third floor and to a series of corridors that even Ren hasn't seen yet. All the way, the melody still haunted them…

_If that billy goat don't pull  
Mommy's gonna buy you a cart and bull_

If that cart and bull turns over  
Mommy's gonna buy you a doggie named Rover

The singing abruptly stopped right there and they found themselves facing the door to the attic. They looked at each other and,as if by mental communication, opened the door in unison. As soon as they stepped in, a gust of wind shut the door closed with a bang. Swirls and clouds of dust flew into the air.

"Ack…" Ren coughed, "Pirika?"

"Still here," Pirika said, also coughing.

"Let's get out of here, shall we?" Ren rubbed his eyes furiously.

"We can't!" Pirika shrieked in horror, tugging at the doorknob furiously, "The door! It's locked from the outside!"

"What!" Ren tackled the door, but to no avail, "Oh crud, it seems we are stuck here until somebody opens that door."

"I'm scared," Pirika succumbed to the floor and tears rolled down her eyes.

Suddenly, it was Ren who began singing:

"_If that dog named Rover don't bark,  
Mommy's gonna buy you a horse and cart…_

If that horse and cart fall down,  
You'll still be the sweetest little baby in town…"

"You know that song?" Pirika stared at him with teary eyes in amazement, feeling a bit relieved when Ren sung.

"By heart," Ren said, sitting beside her, "My mom used to sing it to me."

A/N: Ren sings! Hahahaha! Ok, that was a little bit of weirdness. Anyway, here are my replies to your reviews:

**Mystical Blue Silver Roses**- Lol, glad you like it! I'll try to update more soon! Anyway, I love your pen name!

**PepperMintBlue123**- O.o Whoah… Go easy on yourself! But that was a really flattering comment, thanks! I think you'll like the next chappie, Lol!

**Chonki**- Eric is macho… I mean, don't let the Ryu-faced Gremlins get me! shudders Anyway, Chonki, Uncle En isn't even involved in the plot, Ren just hates the house because it makes him remember horrible stuff.

**RemedyTheThief**- Since you said please, I couldn't resist! Lol!

**Carlos Vinci**- You do have a crush on Ren, Lorney, admit it! Lun-Lun was a character that popped out of my head, just read on!

**Gee/Feathertop**- We believe Eric is Macho! Haha!

Whew… thanks a lot to you guys! Hey, you mean the world to me right now, beh… Well, you know that already, right? Well, 'till the next chappie! Stay rockin' guys!


	4. Discoveries From Beneath the Grave

A/N: The last chapter was a bit spooky wasn't it? Anyway, I don't like Eminem's rap of Mockingbird, so don't worry, I won't turn it into a rap… Heheheh… As usual, for my Francis… Ok, enough with the author's notes this time… Let's get into the chappie…

Disclaimer: I do not own Shaman King… Gosh, I'm tired of saying that…

**Chapter 4: Discoveries From Beneath the Grave**

Jun Tao's Range Rover stopped in front of the now-modernized Ainu Village and all of them jumped out. The village consisted of ten modernized houses all in a row. People started staring at them intently. The women who were looking after their children stopped to stare at them and the men who were carrying basketfuls of fish or fruit put them down and approached them.

"Whoah, we're popular, aren't we?" Yoh grinned.

"Uncle Japoy!" Horo suddenly recognized his uncle among the tattoed men and women.

"Horo, my dear boy!" Uncle Japoy, a big, burly guy with a whole garden of beard on his chin, huge earrings and tattoes on his face, gave Horo a big bearhug "How are you? Where's your sister? And why are you here? Isn't the Shaman Tournament going on?"

"I'm fine, Uncle," Horo grinned, "Pirika's back in the rest house, we're having a break from the pressures of the tournament. By the way, Uncle, these are my friends. Yoh-" Yoh grinned and waved, "Manta-" Manta nodded and smiled, "Anna-" Anna looked at Uncle Japoy blankly, "Ryu-" Ryu shook Uncle Japoy's hand, "And Jun."

"I'm glad to meet you all," Uncle Japoy nodded.

"We are glad to meet you too," Ryu said.

"Where are you staying?" Uncle Japoy asked, "I hope not in that dreadful Tao mansion."

"Er…" Horo looked at the others, especially Jun, in alarm.

"We're staying in a campsite far from here," Anna lied. It was her who had a knack for lying and not getting caught.

"Good," Uncle Japoy said, "I hate those Taos. Everybody here hate them."

All heads turned to Jun, who seemed calm and composed.

"Why is that?" Jun asked calmly.

"It was started 1,000 years ago," they all walked around the village with Uncle Japoy talking, "When a boy from the village was found dead just outside the Tao Mansion. It was a hatred that was carried on to future generations."

"What was the boy's name?" Manta had the sense to ask.

"Kino," Uncle Japoy uttered, "Everybody knows his name."

They all looked at each other and smiled. Their lead was right.

"Does he have any descendants?" Manta asked again.

"Yes, I believe so," Uncle Japoy answered, "But she's not here at the moment. Actually, nobody knows where she is-" they all gave a sigh, "But I can take you to her house."

They all brightened up and followed Uncle Japoy to the depths of the little village. He stopped outside an old house and they all went in.

"Hullo, Japoy!" the caretaker, a chubby Ainu woman, greeted them, "You seem to have some visitors."

"Yes, they're here to see Kino's relics," Uncle Japoy told her.

"Upstairs, Japoy," the woman smiled.

They all followed Uncle Japoy up the stairs and into a little room.

"This is where Kino's relics are kept," Uncle Japoy told them, "You could look around if you want, just don't touch anything. They're a thousand years old and could crumble to dust any moment. I have to leave you to Horo, I still have a lot of work to do."

"Take care, Uncle," Horo said.

"Your relatives are weird, Horo," Ryu said as soon as Uncle Japoy left the room.

"Who are you calling, weird!" Horo and Ryu started arguing again while the rest had the sense to look around.

"Whoa… these are ancient," Yoh stared at the different objects littered around the room, "So, do we start our search?"

"Hey!" Horo protested, "Uncle said to-"

"Who cares," Anna started to turn things over.

"We have another problem," Jun said as she started to search the stuff, "I don't think we can find anything here that could give us something to stop tht ghost from haunting Pirika."

"I think that's an understatement," Manta said.

"Why's that?"

"I found Kino's journal."

Ren was still tackling the door of the attic. Pirika sat on the floor shivering in the cold, even though it was steaming inside the room. Ren finally gave up and sat beside Pirika.

"Sorry about this, Ren," Pirika said.

Ren sighed and got up. He started to search the attic's boxes for something. He got out a blanket from one of the boxes, shook out the dust and wrapped it around Pirika.

"It's not your fault," Ren sighed again, "But this is just crap! How the hell are we going to get out of here?"

"Curiousity kills the cat, they say," Pirika shivered again, "It's so… cold…"

"How can it be?" Ren was losing his patience, "There must be a heater in here somewhere."

Ren looked through centuries-old trash in the attic. There were dusty weapons, dusty books, dusty clothes and even dusty jewelry. There was a heavily locked huge truck with the Tao family crest that Ren opened with furioku and started searching in it. Ren's eyes grew wide at the sight of what was inside the trunk. Pirika looked at him cautiously and approached.

"What's in it, Ren?" Pirika asked.

"I've never seen these things before, these are supposed to be destroyed!" Ren exclaimed in shock, "These things have an involvement with the grisly history of the Taos. I can't believe these aren't destroyed yet."

"What's this?" Pirika held up a little ornate vial with a rubber stopper that contained something that looked terribly like coagulated blood.

"Don't touch that!" Ren grabbed it from her and placed it back into the trunk, "That's the blood of the legendary vampire Dracula. If you spill some on yourself you'll get turned into one!"

Despite that warning, Ren found curiousity seeping up into his brain. He found himself unearthing the antiques and even came across deadly _ofudas_ that Jun would die for to get in her possession. Soon, even Pirika was curious enough to join him in unpacking the trunk.

"Look," Pirika held up a Mandarin-Chinese book, "Can you read this book?"

"Holy crap," Ren grabbed the book from Pirika, "It's Lian Tao's journal!"

At those words, the same icy gust filled the room again. They both stood up as clouds of cold dust swirled in the room. Amidst the chaos, there seemed to be a spectre forming in front of them. It was the girl carrying a huge knife and was inching towards Pirika. The little Ainu screamed and started crying again. Ren stayed calm and locked Pirika in his embrace, protecting her from the ghost.

"Help!" Ren yelled, hoping someone was outside, "Open the door! Yoh! Jun! Bason! Anybody!"

"Master Ren!" came Lun-Lun's voice.

"Lun-Lun! Hurry up and open the door!"

Lun-Lun unlocked the door and Ren nimbly got Pirika and himself out. Suddenly, Anna appeared behind Lun-Lun and weilded her _Mala_. Lun-Lun got herself, Ren and Pirika out of Anna's way. The string of 108 beads started shaking as Anna uttered a prayer to send the ghost back to the astral plane.

"Lian Tao!" Anna exclaimed, "I send you back to the spirit world! Rest in eternal peace!"

Anna shook her beads, but the wind grew stronger. Suddenly, Anna gave a gasp and she was blown off her feet (literally). She crashed into Yoh and the winds subsided.

"I just can't believe this," Anna got up, "I can't send her back to the astral plane. Who does this spirit thinks she is?"

"What happened, Anna?" Yoh asked.

"She doesn't want to go to the spirit world, yet," Anna explained, "She can't be sent there against her will."

"This sucks," Ren was still holding a sobbing Pirika tightly, "Hey, you ok, Pirika?"

Pirika had suddenly turned pale and was on the verge of fainting. Her breaths came out in gasps and she had a flushed face. Without hesitation, Ren carried Pirika on his arms and into a room. He laid her gently on the bed and tuned to Horo.

"She's having a raging fever," Lun-Lun told them as she placed her hand over Pirika's forehead.

Pirika looked at Ren and Ren found that she was holding his hand tightly. Ren sat beside the bed and let Pirika hold his hand before the girl went into a deep sleep. Horo stared at Ren in astonishment.

"Whoah, Pirika's got the hots for you," Horo whispered.

"She does not!" Ren blushed.

"What caused this fever?" Lun-Lun asked Ren.

"I don't know, but I think it has something to do with that stupid ghost," Ren told her, "Oh yeah, and this."

Ren showed them the journal that Pirika was still clutching tightly.

"Uh-huh," Manta nodded, "We found this too."

Manta held up the other journal.

"So, we'er one step closer to getting rid of that ghost," Ryu said.

"Could you bring Pirika to her room, Ren?" Horo asked, "We'll have to help Lun-Lun prepare dinner.

"Hey!" Ren started to protest but the others left the room, except for Yoh.

"Ren, I think we all have to keep a close watch on Pirika right now," Yoh told him, "The spirit is getting more violent."

"I told you not to go after her and you wouldn't listen."

Yoh and Ren jumped. Grandpa had suddenly appeared on the doorway.

"Now, it will not stop," Grandpa whispered, "It will never stop until history repeats itself."

A/N: Hahahaha! Uncle Japoy! Hahahaha! Filipinos may recognize him from the Milo commercial and Sarah Geronimo's misic video of "Lumingon Ka Lang." You know, that Tae Kwon Do guy… Hehe… his name just popped out of my head. Anyway, peace, Dairen! I won't steal him from you (even if I can if I tried! Hehehehe!), I know how much you love him! (Kidding! kidding!) Here's my replies to your reviews:

**pendulum-swing**- Welcome to my reviewers list! Eminem is annoying and I'll try to update soon!

**Feathertop**- Huh? No need for you to tell her… sobra lang toh emote ko kahapon… hehehe… I'll try to update quickly… This chappie's a bit not-in-the-right-mood so I don't know if you'll like it...


	5. Read Between the Lines

A/N: O.o Man, it's hot back here in the Philippines… You should try coming up here, you'll burn in hell… I wish I was at Bora-Bora! Then I could go around in my swim suit all day and feel the breeze! Wooooo-hooooo! Here's the next chapter: feast on it guys… And always remember, Filipinos: "Iba ka-summer ang Kapamilya!" (Bawal ang Kapuso!)

Disclaimer: I do not own Shaman King… I wish I owned the whole island of Boracay though!

**Chapter 5: Read Between The Lines**

The whole Tao mansion was deadly quiet the next day. Pirika was lying pale and sick in bed, with Lun-Lun watching over her. The rest of the gang was cooped up in Lian Tao's bedroom, reminiscing yesterday's events. Yoh, Manta, Ryu and Horo were all on their knees, huddled wround the floor, deciphering the contents of Kino's journal that was written in ancient Ainu language. Anna was sitting on the foot of Lian's bed, commenting on how slow they were working. Ren and Jun were reading Lian's journal on the bed, finding out what the ghost wants.

"Take a look at this!" Manta unearthed something shiny from the pages of the book.

He showed them a broken heart pendant hanging from a chain.

"It says on this page that Kino gave it to her and promised to marry her no matter what," Horo read, "It's marked the 3rd full moon and the 6th day. March 6th!"

"March 6th?" Jun flipped the pages of the other journal, "It says the same thing here. The date of their wedding was on the 13th of March."

"Holy crap!" Ren gasped, "They had a baby!"

"What!"

"Kino and Lian had a baby!" Ren held up something that looked like a Chinese charm, "This is a charm for safe childbirth! I found it stuck between the pages of 9th December and 10th December. And look at this, Jun. It says here that the baby was 4 months old when Kino gave Lian the pendant. It is, isn't it, Jun?"

"Yes," Jun said softly, "That's the exact charm mother once used on you, Ren."

"They kept it from their families as long as they can," Horo read from Kino's journal, "And it says here that Lian used the attic for a nursery! Whoa…"

"It all fits…" Ren muttered, "The lullaby… The attic…"

"But what does the ghost want?" Ryu asked nobody.

"Eternal peace, of course," they all jumped at Anna's sudden comment, "It wants to have its rest. To have that, she needs to finish her business when she was alive or at least have something she didn't have. It's the basics of being an _itako_."

"We all know that already, Anna," Jun said, "The real deal is, what does she want from Pirika?"

_Pirika_. The name seemed to have stirred something in Ren, a new purpose for solving this mystery. Her name was an endless echo in his head now and when he thinks about it… all his troubles fade away just like that. He forgets to be nasty and tends to be illogical, something that never happened before…

"I'm sorry, did I disturb you?" Lun-Lun suddenly came in the room, carrying a plate of cookies.

"Not at all," Horo took the plate from her and Lun-Lun gave a slight blush.

"Lun-Lun, did Lian Tao really have a baby?" Jun asked her, "What happened to the baby?"

"The baby survived the purge of the Taos," Lun-Lun told them, her lips strangely trembling as she did, "He lived on to continue that line, and I think it still survives until today."

"I'll go see if Grandpa's around, he might be able to get us some info," Ren left the room, but instead of going down, he went straight to Pirika's room.

Pirika was lying on the bed, but she definitely wasn't sleeping. Her eyes darted to Ren and she smiled. Ren seemed to calm down at the sight of her, though he didn't know why. He never felt this way before and it was so strange to him… So awkward… However, when he looked at Pirika's comely face, he noticed that yesterday's events had taken its toll on it. Her eyes that were brimming with warmth and brightness seemed to have turned cold and empty. And she wasn't her hyper self anymore (something that others seemed to have appreciated).

"Hey Ren," Pirika said, "Why're you here? I thought you're supposed to be with the others."

"I… uh…" Ren was stuttering again and was turning red, "I just wanted to see if you were ok…"

"Oh…" Pirika said weakly, "That's sweet…"

"Pirika, I…" Ren suddenly found himself grabbing Pirika's hand.

_What am I doing? What in bloody hell am I doing! This isn't me! This is so not me at all! What the hell is happenning!_

"Ren, you don't have to say anything," Pirika gave him a gentle smile, "I'll be fine. All she wants is to rest and that's all."

"I hope you're right," Ren said, still remembering what Grandpa told Yoh and himself last night, "Stay safe, Pirika."

"I will," Piria looked at Ren and for a moment, the same twinkle was restored in her eyes.

Ren squeezed the hand he was holding and gently placed it to his lips. Pirika smiled at him as he made his way out the door. Ren closed the door gently and went back to Lian's room, still wondering what the hell he was doing. The rest of the gang was still pondering on the mystery with Grandpa.

"Dude, where have you been?" Horo asked, "Grandpa came up here minutes ago and he didn't see you."

"Don't call me dude," Ren went back to his moody self and slumped on Lian's bed.

"Tomorrow is March 13th, if you haven't noticed," Grandpa told all of them, "Lian and Kino's death anniversary."

"Whoah… You're right…" Jun flicked the journal to March 13, "Empty and … is this… blood?"

Ryu gave a little-girlish scream of horror as he laid his eyes on the blood that was splattered on the date of March 13th. Everybody looked at his with their eyebrows raised.

"That girl Pirika is in grave danger," Grandpa shook his head, "I should've told you sooner…"

"What!" Both Horo and Ren exclaimed.

"This house holds another secret within its walls," Grandpa told them and Lun-Lun winced, "Once every century, a girl is found dead inside this house on Lian's death anniversery-"

"Why the hell didn't you tell us this before!" Ren looked ready to pounce on Grandpa at any moment.

"Ren! Let him finish!" Jun snapped.

"The girl's death is exactly the same to the way Lian herself died, by slashing her neck and bleeding to death," Grandpa continued, "She always had the same message with her: To be with her one true love and their child until her final breath."

"This is just stupid," Ren muttered and the rest looked as shocked as he was.

"What're we going to do?" Jun seemed as though she was going to cry at any moment (which she doesn't do often), "Poor Pirika…"

"We're going to save her," Ren told them all, "We're going to keep Pirika safe and that's final! Lun-Lun, I order you to keep a close watch on her starting now-"

Everybody stared at Ren's sudden outburst. Lun-Lun, who looked a bit pale herself, went out without any hesitation. Ren turned to Grandpa.

"And I order you to tell us what we have to do to save her!" Ren exclaimed.

"All you need to do is to bring her family back together," Grandpa said matter-of-factly, "Which a lot of this house's former inhabitants weren't very successful in doing so."

"Wait a second," Anna got up to her feet, "If this involves bones-"

"Unfortunately, it does," Grandpa said sadly and Manta shuddered, "Lian is buried in the backyard and Kino is buried somewhere in Hokkaido."

"And how are we supposed to bring them together if that's the case?" Manta asked.

"Bring them together in spirit, my boy," Grandpa gave them a horrible toothless grin, "You are Shamans aren't you?"

"Yes we are, Grandpa!" Yoh grinned back, "And we're going to save Pirika, aren't we guys?"

"Of course we are," Anna said surprisingly, "Even if it involves somebody's rotten skeletal system."

"So, all for one-"

Yoh wasn't able to finish what he was saying at all.

"PIRIKA!" suddenly came Lun-Lun's cry, "NOOOO!"

A/N: Ok, something happened to Pirika… again… That was a crappy chapter… Hell, I'm running out of ideas… Would somebody send an inspiration from above! Oh well, that's life… Life sucks… And when life gives you lemons… make lemonade! Oh wait, what am I saying? Anyway, I'm fresh out of lemonade for this chapter and tune in next chapter for more lemons! Oh dear, that's not right… What I really mean is, just see the next chapter for what'll happen next… if I could get more lemons… Rock on, guys!


	6. I Won't Say It

A/N: Haha… Iba talaga ka-summer ang kapamilya… If you guys are wondering what this means, it means "Summer together with the family never is the same!" It's my favorite TV station's ID… Anywho, Enough with my summer grumblings… Let's get on with my favorite part… the Disclaimer! Just kidding!

Disclaimer: It's the same every chapter, isn't it? And I still wish I owned Boracay…

**Chapter 6: I Won't Say It**

Ren and the others quickly made their way to Pirika's room and the sight they beheld sent a gasp to exit their mouths. Lun-Lun was on her knees and Pirika was clutching a dagger and brandishing it over her neck, as if to slash it open any moment.

"Nii-chan! What the hell are you doing!" Horo yelled at his sister.

Pirika uttered words in pure Chinese, a feat she couldn't normally do. Her voice was unlike her own, and her eyes had turned cold and murderous.

"She said 'You killed me and my family, now I'm going to kill this girl before you!'" Jun translated, "Somebody stop her!"

Ren lunged into Pirika without hesistation and grabbed the knife from her cold hands. Pirika gave a struggle as Yoh, Horo and Ryu joined in on keeping her at bay. Slowly, Pirika submitted to the force holding her down and her eyes went back to normal. She swooned and fell to a faint in Ren's arms.

"This is not good," Manta mumbled, "We should really do something now."

Ren carried Pirika and laid her gently on the bed. She began to stir and wake up.

"What happened?" she asked them.

"Nothing," Ren whispered softly, "Go back to sleep now, ok?"

Pirika closed her eyes again and went back to sleep. Lun-Lun approached her nervously and checked her temperature.

"The fever is still there," she said, "And it's increased."

"Lun-Lun, keep a close watch on her, understand!" Ren yelled angrily to everyone's surprise, "Another fiasco like that will not be tolerated any longer! Let us take our leave from this room, we have lots of work to do."

Everybody followed Ren out the room except Horo, who was staying with Lun-Lun to guard Pirika. All of them were clearly awestruck at Ren's behavior, even Anna and most especially Jun.

"Ryu, let's go prepare dinner, shall we?" Manta said, sensing something brewing from inside Ren that could burst any moment.

"Right behind you, little brother," Ryu slapped Manta playfully on his back, causing him to tumble on the floor.

"I'll help them!" Yoh decided to join too, but stopped when Anna gave him a disapproving look.

"I have to perform a summoning ritual tonight at exactly midnight," Anna said, "This is so that we can assure no flaws are made in the ritual and that the spirit will be able to hold it's ground on earth. And Yoh, Jun, you two are going to help me gather up Kino and Lian's stuff."

"Why's that Anna?" Jun asked.

"It'll make the bond stronger," Anna answered, "Now let's go, I want this over with so that I can go to bed."

"But what about us?" Ren asked angrily, "I'm not weak! I can help you!"

"Stay by Pirika's side," Anna told him in a hushed tone, "I can see that she needs you now."

Ren looked away from Anna, clearly out of words, for she had read him right. Anna suppressed a smile of discovery.

"We go after dinner," Anna said, "Let's go, Yoh, I'm starving."

Ren began to leave, but Jun paced a hand on her brother's shoulder.

"You're hiding something, little brother, I can see it in your eyes," Jun told him softly, in a tone she had never used before, "What are you feeling for Pirika?"

"Nothing!" Ren snapped at her as he began walking down the stairs, "I'm just worried about… about what would happen to the Taos reputation if another girl gets killed in this house."

"Ren," Jun stopped his brother from walking away again and beckoned her to sit on one of the steps, "Sit down."

"Why should I?"

"Because we've never had a talk like this all our life," Jun said matter-of-factly, "All our life we were to busy training and fighting to consider our sibling relationship. I just discovered a while ago that I didn't really know you and you are my brother, I've lived with you all my life. Ren, I want to make up for the lost time between us and bridge the gap that we have. Now sit down and tell me."

"Jun, you're going soft-" Ren began laughingly, but Jun cut him off.

"Aren't you, Ren?"

Ren finally sat down at her words.

"It's not like I chose to have this!" Ren's fingers were curling into a fist, "I'm not weak! But whenever I'm… I'm around her… I get…"

"Butterflies in your stomach? Act mushy? Sentimental? You feel really silly, but you like it? And when you're around her, the room suddenly melts and it's only the two of you around?"

"Uh…" Ren gulped, wondering if he should tell his sister the truth.

"Spit it out, Ren."

"Yes!" Ren stood up suddenly, as if he let go of a heavy burden, "I do! I do feel those things! And when I feel them, I get… I get… weak…"

"No, you don't get weak!" Jun suddenly grinned at her brother, "You're not weak! Ren… you've… you've fallen for Pirika…"

"No I'm not!" Ren countered, "Love makes people weak! And I am definitely not weak! If there's one thing that keeps people in this earth weak, it's love! If there's a prize for rotten judgment, I guess I've already won that. No girl is worth the aggravation, that's ancient history, been there done that."

"Who do you think you're kidding, Ren?" Jun shrugged her shoulders as Ren started to go back upstairs, "She's the Earth and heaven to you. Try to keep it hidden but I can see right through you. Ren, you can't conceal it, I know how you feel and who you're thinking of."

"No chance, no way," Ren kept denying as Jun stalked him, "I won't say it, no…"

"You swoon, you sigh…" Jun smiled even wider and threw her hands up in the air, "Why deny it?"

"It's too cliché!" Ren blustered out as he kept walking to his room, "I won't say I'm in love!"

"You keep on denying who you are and what you're feeling. Ren, I'm not buying, I saw you hit the ceiling! Face it like a grown-up, when are you going to confess that you've got it bad?"

"I won't say anything!"

"Give in, Ren, check the smile you're wearing!"

"This scene you're making just won't play; I'm not going to say I'm in love!"

"You're doing flips; I can read your lips!"

"Get off my case, Jun, I won't say it!" Ren opened the door and slammed it in Jun's face nastily.

"Ren," Jun slowly opened the door and found Ren lying on his bed with a pillow on his face, she sat next to him, "Don't be proud… It's ok… You're in love…"

Ren took the pillow off his face to reveal himself smiling at his sister, something Jun never saw him do before. He sat up and smiled some more.

"At least not out loud," Ren looked at his sister in a new light, "I won't say I'm in love…"

"I knew you'd come to it, Ren…" Jun also did something she never did before and hugged her little brother, "I'm so happy you've found her."

For a moment, the two emerged themselves in sibling affection, until Ren broke away.

"Ok, too much love!" Ren exclaimed and Jun smiled at him, "I still have my sanity to maintain, you know."

"Well, it's nice we had this talk," Jun said, "We'll see you at midnight, Yoh, Anna and I will be going to the old Ainu village to try and sneak in inside Kino's shrine- thingy- and get a bit of his stuff."

They both made their way out and Ren made his way to Pirika's room again. Instead, he found Horo and Lun-Lun making out beside the door. Ren raised his eyebrow and the two noticed his presence.

"Stupid fluffy Ainu snow bunny!" Ren muttered under his breath, "And to think you're supposed to be guarding your sister."

"Hey, I was just having a bit of fun," Horo shrugged in a really silly manner that got Ren boiling with anger, "Anyway, Pirika won't mind, she still asleep."

"Huh! I'm sure you'd mind if a psychedelic ghost murders her while you get hot with your girlfriend!" Ren retorted.

"Kill-joy git," Horo mumbled.

"Fugly bastard," Ren uttered.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY!"

"SHUT UP! WOULD YOU GUYS JUST SHUT UP!"

They both turned around and saw Pirika had woken up and was back to her moody, hyperactive self.

"I don't want anyone to fight for my sake," Pirika said angrily, "You guys are all so stupid! Especially you, Horo! Now, bow down and say sorry!"

"Pirika…" Ren, instead of bowing down, went to her bedside, "You're back to yourself…"

"Not really… My head still feels like it's going to burst," Pirika sighed and giggled, "I just want to shout a bit at Horo."

"Yo, Ren, Nii-chan!" Horo called out, "We've got to grab a bite-"

"Or the nearest bed," Ren muttered out of earshot.

"-guard her, Ren."

"He is such a jerk," Pirika succumbed to her pillow as soon as Horo and Lun-Lun got out of the room.

"You said it," Ren also leant on the pillow and looked at Pirika's face.

"What?" Pirika smiled at him.

"Nothing," Ren seemed a lot more confident as he spoke to Pirika now, "You just look a lot prettier than you usually are from this lighting."

"But the lighting's always like this," Pirika was turning red now, due to the fact that she never heard him talk that way before and that the fever was now creeping up on her.

Ren's heart started beating fast and the familiar jolt in his stomach came again. He held Pirika's hand and started moving his face closer to hers. Pirika moved away a bit and Ren stopped what he was doing.

"Are you going to…" Pirika gulped, "Kiss me?"

"Well," Ren guzzled, "I… I think so… Um… do you like me to go away?"

"Are you kidding!" Pirika held on to Ren's hand, "I just didn't want it now, I haven't brushed my teeth today and you'd probably find me with bad breath and-"

Ren grabbed Pirika somewhat roughly on the shoulders and brought her to his lips, not caring about words anymore. Pirika was taken aback by Ren's sudden action that her eyes grew wide, but they gently closed as they both lost themselves within each other's grasp. Pirika melted into Ren's passionate embrace, something that she yearned for him to do since the day she had fist met him.

"Wow…" Pirika broke away a half hour later with her eyes still closed, quite forgetting her raging fever, "Ren… did you just-?"

"Whoah… I just did…" Ren touched his trembling lips, "Was it bad?"

"Are you kidding me? Does it matter?" Pirika laid her head on Ren's shoulder as she slowly began falling asleep again.

"Um…Pirika…" Ren whispered, "I wanted to tell you, for so long… I… I love you…"

"Ren, I've waited for those words," Pirika smiled at him drowsily, "Can you sing for me again? Just this once, please?"

"What am I, a jukebox?" Ren started having his moody attitude again.

"Pweeeeeez?" Pirika gave her puppy-dog-eyes look.

Ren just smiled and began to sing the chorus of a song in Chinese:

_What is this feeling I just can't explain?_

_When you're near, I'm just not the same…_

_I'm tryin' to hide it, so why can't I show it?_

_It's crazy… how could it be?_

_I'm falling for you…_

_Finally, my heart gave in…_

_And I'm falling in love…_

_I finally know how it feels…_

_So this is love…_

Ren caressed Pirika's sleeping face, feeling the only emotion he had not learned to feel. Now, he'll say it, but not out loud…

"Wo ai ni, Pirika Usui…"

Ren slowly fell asleep himself, with the girl he loves in his arms.

Suddenly, as though he's only been sleeping a couple of minutes, Horo Horo's watch beeped on the side table, reading 12 o'clock am.

A/N: FLUFFFFFFFFFF! Full of FLUFFFFFFFFFFF! FLUFFFFFFFFFF! Even Jun is getting FLUFFFFFFFFFFFFYYY! But it makes me sneeze… Anyways, Ren's singing again… Heheh… who knows he has such a nice voice… I wonder if he really has one… If he has I'd totally have a crush on him! Just kidding! Anyway, thanks to Carlos Vinci for the snow bunny inspiration… hehehe… Anyway, let's see… Ah! My REAL favorite part: Reading and replying to your reviews! The most reviews I ever had! Warm fuzzies to all you, my loyal reviewers! Ahem…

**RuiHanasawaSux**- OMG! Five reviews! Warm fuzzies to you! You're Noypi, ba? Hehe… You know Japoy Lizardo, then… He's the Tae Kwon Do guy… I don't know, he just popped out of my darn brain and I don't have any name going on in my head, so I wrote it down! Lol!

**FeAtHeRtOp**- Glad you looooove the spaces, Baby Gee! I just hope you love the stories too! And man, I loved your new AnnaxHao fic! Although I still think AnnaxYoh is better! Warm fuzzies to you, Gee-kun!

**pendulum-swing**- Haha! Know what? I did consider Faust at first, but I just couldn't figure out how he's going to get to the rest house in the first place! Heheh… I'm striving to keep this story together as hard as I can… And I'm still running out of ideas! Warm fuzzies to you! Lol!

**reader**- You have the most unique nickname here! Do you accept warm fuzzies? Hehehe… And since you said please, here's my update!

**Carlos Vinci**- Lorns, mayu bal-an mo kung ano ka! Haha… Now I'm speaking in my native tongue! Here's your fluff, feast on it! And I don't have to explain the bit of ooc here, right? Admit it, all you want is lemons and lemonade! And Japoy could roll you up into a ball and dribble you around ten times before you could say "Quidditch", so, get off my case! BTW, no warm fuzzies for you, accept some cold fuzzies instead!

**Draguzta**- Wow… Thanks for finding it nice! Neways, welcome to my reviewers list! Lots of warm fuzzies to you!

You're probably wondering why this chappie is longer than the usual. Well, it's because I'm making up for the lost fluffiness for the last chapter and that my extra-mushy muse (hey Chonki, I finally have a muse!) Yume Ai got hold of me. That's also why I'm giving warm fuzzies to everyone! I'll be waiting for your reviews! Rock on!


	7. Back to Before

A/N: I'll be going back today… Waaaaaaaaaaay back… I won't keep ranting in this chappie since… well… I don't feel like it… But I also like to comment about something… Why do some people hurt the ones that love them and leave them without even a small portion of guilt weighing them down? Why is it that when some people get tired of someone, they replace them without even looking twice at what they'd feel? La lang! Tripping! But I'm happy right now… hehehe! Umm… As usual, you guys know to whom this story is for… Hey there, Francis, I know you're reading, but please review me… Heheh… Still him, that special guy…

**Yume Ai:** Sorry 'bout her grim mood today, she's still affected by that you-know-what.

**PH: **I… I… I…

**Yume Ai: **You see, she's practically stricken dumb… Anywayz, here's the next chappie!

Disclaimer: Six words… I… DO… NOT… OWN… SHAMAN… KING…

**Chapter 7: Back To Before**

"Why?"

A girl of about seventeen asked herself as she walked down the staircase gracefully.

Her placid dark eyes, long, straight black hair and milky, unblemished complexion made her look like the finest porcelain doll ever made. She had a gentle aura around her that emphasized her soft features.

She stopped at the foot of the stairs and sighed at the locked main entrance of the mansion, reminding her that she could never set foot behind the door. She went back up and found herself sitting silently on her bed in the solitude of her bedroom.

"Miss Lian?"

Her handmaid, a common Chinese girl named Xiao Li, came in carrying her dinner. She smiled at her sadly and helped her carry the dishes to her personal table facing the widest window of her room. Lian threw back the curtains of the window and sat on a chair. She looked at her food desolately.

"What's wrong, Miss Lian?" Xiao Li asked her mistress in a hushed tone, kneeling on the floor beside her and giving her a comforting look.

Lian looked at her wordlessly and lifted her right hand. The window suddenly flew open and in came a rush of cool spring air. Xiao Li made a small gasp and Lian began talking calmly.

"This…" Lian placed both her hands on the window sill and leaned over, as if breathing the air for the first time, "This is what I want. I want to see the world, Xiao Li! I want to go out and do the things I want to do! I want to see the world!"

"But Miss Lian…" Xiao Li tried to reason out, but Lian only kept on talking.

"I want to be free!" Lian started to jump on the bed ecstatically, "I want to be who I want to be! No more of these dreadful shoes-" she took off her ridiculously small Chinese shoes "No more of these absurdly rigorous trainings-" she kicked a pile of books "AND NO MORE RULES! I'LL BE FREE!"

"LIAN!"

"Oh no…" Xiao Li whispered meekly in the corner.

"Get off of there!" Lian's mother, the Mistress of the house was a very strict woman, especially on the concept of acting like a lady.

"I'm sorry, mother," Lian got down the bed and looked at the ground.

"Sorry doesn't cut it!" her mother placed a nasty slap on her cheek, "Stand straight! Chin up! And stop crying! You are a TAO, Lian, and you will not act that way again, do you understand?"

"Yes, mother," Lian mumbled, forcing back her tears.

"Good," her mother slammed the door without another word.

"Miss Lian…" Xiao Li placed an arm around her.

"It's going to be tonight, Xiao Li," Lian said bravely, "I'm busting out and you're going to help me!"

"Uh… No, I'm-" Xiao Li started to protest, but Lian had already tied her bed sheets together.

"Listen, you are going to pose for me on the bed, like I'm sleeping or something," Lian told her, "I'll be back in a while, just don't get caught, ok?"

"But, Miss Lian, what if I get caught?" Xiao Li asked nervously.

"Please, Xiao-Xiao…" Lian grasped both her hands, "Please do this for me… We are best friends, aren't we?"

"Yes we are, Li…" Xiao Li gave her mistress a hug, "Go now, before that dreadful woman comes back."

To make the long escape short, Lian climbed down the window and snuck out the huge gate, wearing a cloak over her head. Xiao Li watched from atop on her window and sighed.

"I'm free!" She started to run into the forest, laughing along as she did so.

The night was cold and the ground bore into her bare feet, but she didn't mind, all that was in her mind was to escape the hell she had been through. It was a good thing that she took her feet-binding shoes, or else the adventure would be thrice as painful to her feet. Stones cut into her soles so hard, that she decided it was time to use her special abilities. She uttered a small prayer and she was lifted up the ground and above the tree-tops.

The wind in her face was glorious. Everything her eyes beheld was a new discovery, a new treat for her. She heard the sounds the wind calling out her name in the darkness and she saw the stars twinkle merrily for her. The symphony of the night proved to be quite a delight, with the crickets chirping their violins, the birds tweeting with their lovely voices, the trees rustling with their leaves for harps and every other creature was bequeathed with an instrument to play for her amusement. She joined them with her gay laughter echoing with every note.

In the distance, she spotted a big patch of light coming from the tree trunks. She picked up speed and landed just beside the patch of light. She saw that it was a primitive village of some kind of indigenous tribe. They were laughing and talking to each other, eating their spoils for the day. There were, as Lian estimated, about ten families in the bunch. One of the boys looked into the darkness and was smiling at her. He nodded for her to come nearer. Something in the boy's gentle dark eyes made her trust him. Picking up her courage, she decided to step out of the darkness and into the light of a big bonfire in the middle of the village.

"Um… hello…" she smiled at the people before her, short, sturdy and heavily tattooed people.

The people only looked at her in confusion, not understanding a word of her Mandarin-Chinese. One of the boys in the group approached her. Unlike the others, he wasn't that heavily tattooed and was smiling at her.

"It's ok, she's my friend!" the boy yelled to his companions in a strange language that Lian didn't understand.

The boy took Lian by the hand and led her closer to the bonfire. She as greeted by everyone in the village and was offered a magnificent meal of dog salmon garnished with some herbs. She found out how famished she was and started to devour the food. She didn't understand a word they were saying, but she was laughing with them. The boy who saved her kept glancing her way.

The evening meal was soon finished and the people prepared to go to sleep. She thanked them and started walking away, but the boy that had saved her held on to her shoulder. She turned to him and he smiled, beckoning her to stay with him for a little while. He took her hand and led her away from the village and into a clearing where a huge waterfall was found. Not only that, there were fireflies everywhere, making the scene look like there had been a shower of shooting stars that landed there.

"It's beautiful," she muttered and the boy nodded happily.

"I, Kino," he pointed to himself, speaking awkward Chinese, "You?"

"Lian," she smiled, "Where did you learn Chinese?"

"I hear when I go big house," he pointed to the direction of Lian's home, "You there?"

"Yes," Lian nodded, "I ran."

"No," Kino put on a sad face, "You go away from me? You stay. Stay?"

"Yes, I'll stay."

"This is beautiful friend."

"Yeah, the beginning of a beautiful friendship, I heard that line before."

For the next six months, Lian went back to the old village every night, dining with what they called the Ainu. They accepted her as one of their own now and they were what she considered as her family. She had learned their language and they learned hers. She also saw more of Kino and was caring for him more and more with each passing day. One night, Kino had finally popped those three words to her.

"I love you, Lian."

The joy inside them was barely contained when Kino said those words. Each was feeling the same way for the other and was dreaming of what the future may bring. And sometimes, the bottled-up passion between them cannot be restricted any longer. And it was that one single night that Lian failed to come home on the same time she usually did. It was one time that they lost themselves to the pleasure of seeing heaven for the first time. (A/N: You know what I mean! Now, don't let me go to the details, ok!)

It took nine months of solitude for Lian. Her mother barely saw her and she was cooped up in the attic with Xiao Li most of the time. She didn't even go out to see Kino anymore. However, those efforts paid off with a baby boy named Miko. He was kept in secret in the attic with Xiao Li attending to him 24/7. His mother returned to the Ainu village and told his father the good news. Kino was, as we all know, delighted and so ecstatic that he practically woke up the whole village. The two had to go to their little firefly paradise to get privacy.

"This is very pleasing! I ignore that you not see me, I understand," Kino hugged her tightly, "You not tell me before, Lian. Why?"

"I wanted it to be at the right time," Lian beamed at him, " I'm sorry. Anyway, I'll bring him to you once we get our affairs in order."

"I marry you, Lian," Kino took Lian's hand and placed a broken-heart necklace made out of a precious star-ruby that gleamed in the sunlight, "I promise I take Miko and Lian out of house. I come to get you in eight days."

Lian looked at Kino speechlessly and hugged him tightly. However, a piercing shriek pierced the night.

"LIAN! YOU BITCH OF A DAUGHTER!" her mother was now stomping menacingly up to her, "YOU INGRATE! YOU SELF-ABSORBED SCUM!"

"Mother, I can explain!" Lian started, but Kino blocked the distance between her and her mother.

"You no touch Lian! I love Lian!" Kino declared bravely, but it only made her mother angrier.

"HOW LONG, YOU AINU SCUM?" her mother waved her hand and sent a blast of violent furioku hurling towards Kino, "YOU WILL NEVER SEE MY DAUGHTER AGAIN, FOR AS LONG AS YOU LIVE! I WILL PERSONALLY TAKE CARE OF YOU MYSELF, YOU HEAR! YOU AND YOUR MORONIC PEOPLE WILL SUFFER FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE! COME, LIAN!"

"I don't want to…" Lian stuttered, "I love him, mother… And we have a son…"

"COME, LIAN! IF YOU DON'T WANT HIM TO GET HURT!"

Furious tears were falling down Lian's cheeks as she last glanced at Kino. The Ainu was pleading to her in his native language not to go, but she knew she had to. Her mother tugged on her arm violently and dragged her by her hair towards the mansion.

"Kino!" Lian yelled, "I… I… LOVE YOU!"

"Lian! Nooo!"

"Kino!"

"Lian!"

"Kino!"

"Lian!"

"Kino!"

"Lian!"

"Erica!"

"Richard!"

"Mokuba!"

"Big brother!"

"Hey, Yu-Gi-Oh and Daimos dudes! You're on the wrong story! Anyway… Kino!" (A/N: Hekhek… Always wanted to do that…)

Her mother dragged her all the way to the mansion and up the staircase, Lian pleading, cursing and crying at the same time.

"Where is the child!" her mother asked her menacingly.

"You'll have to kill me first to get through to him!" Lian spat at her mother.

"Let's see about that!" her mother dragged her again to the attic and threw the door open.

"Miko!" Lian's heart was gripped in maternal fear as her mother entered the bedroom.

"WHERE IS THE CHILD, LIAN!" her mother demended, gripping her hair in a more forceful manner with each word.

"I… I don't know…" Lian can only imagine Xiao Li's name in her mind.

"Very well…" her mother threw her in the attic violently and locked the door, "You will not eat until that child is found! And that Ainu will have the end he so deserves!"

Lian sunk to desperation on the attic floor. Days and nights went by, but hunger was not felt, not even by a single fiber of her being. The only thought that lingered in her mind was Kino and Miko. Her mornings would be full of tears and her nights would be the same. The day of March 13th dawned and Lian Tao brought the knife she had found swiftly down her neck.

One thousand years later, however, Anna Kyoyama was snooping around Kino's old things. Yoh was behind her, unearthing Kino's old clothes and his weapons. Jun stood outside silently, acting as look-out.

"Hey, Anna," Yoh placed a hand on her shoulder, "I think this is enough."

"You're right," Anna nodded.

"Say, Anna…"

"What?" Anna bunched all of the things together, "Spit it out."

"Do you think we'll get out of this situation with all our body parts intact?" Yoh asked somewhat stupidly.

"What do you think, moron?" Anna sighed and placed all of the things in a bag.

"Well, just in case we don't," Yoh breathed deeply, "I just want you to know how happy I am to be your fiancé. You're a great girl, Anna, even I can't deny it."

"Well," Anna hid her blush, "I'm just glad you don't find me disgusting."

"Not at all," Yoh faced Anna, placed both his hands on her hips and started to kiss Anna softly.

"YOH! ANNA!" Jun's scream pierced the evening atmosphere.

A/N: Hehe… AnnaxYoh fluff? Hope you like this extra chapter… I'm kinda hoping that this story would never end because even I don't know how it'll turn out! Anyway, ignore the unnecessary random Yu-Gi-Oh and Daimos stuff, I don't even like Yu-Gi-Oh and Daimos anyway… I just got really crazy… Oh wait, here's my replies to my beloved reviewers!

**Rui Hanasawa**- Iba magmahal ang Kapamilya… hahaha… Anyway, Gee's a cool writer though… And here's the update! I hope you enjoyed it!

**Angelraine**- salamat naman, maraming pinoy d2 sa I hope we have a community of our own here… haha… The song I used in the last chapter was from Hercules. I think it's called "I Won't Say I'm In Love"… Hercules was one of the fave movies of the person this fic is dedicated to!

**pendulum-swing-** Ah… one of my most loyal reviewers! D'you want me to give more warm fuzzies on the next chappies?

**Feathertop**- Gee… I have to tell you something very important… Eric is macho! Hahahahahaha! I wonder how it would be like if Ren really sings… With his British accent and all…

**Draguzta**- Yep… Pretty long kiss, wasn't it? Lol!

**Carlos Vinci**- I'm pretty sure he could get to you because a.) he's a Tae Kwon Do gold medalist, b.) he's really cute, and c.) you are so not John Cena… And yes, I'm kinda into the sibling relationship thingy… And be cool? It's not even cool! And it's soooooo annoying that you get to go to Boracay! Pasalubong ko ha! Daman mo lang…

Anyway… That's all… I just want to give warm fuzzies to everyone who read my fic! You guys rock! 'Til the next chapter! Au revoir and bonne nuit!


	8. Lost Souls

**A/N:** Haha! Nothin' to rant about in this chappie! I want to get it right on! Except for the fact that it took me so long to update because of my Mom's work… But it's ok!

**Yume: **O.o She sure is happy today.

**Isha: **Yep… she is… Hehehe...

**PH:** So… guys- Wait a sec, where did you guys come from?

**Isha:** Can I say it? Please?

**Damian:** Can I say it with her?

**Isha:** Where the hell did you come from, 'Lil Bro?

**Damian:** I… I actually dunno…

**PH:** Er… If you really feel like it you can say it… O.oU

**Isha and Damian:** Yey! On with the Disclaimer!

Disclaimer: (KT an Miko) PH would like to say that she does not own anything of Shaman King, she only owns the OC's (Lun-Lun, Grandpa, Lian Tao, Kino, Xiao Li, Uncle Japoy and Lian's mom) and the plot!

**Chapter 8: Lost Souls**

Yoh and Anna jumped out of the window and found themselves being cornered by a mob of angry Ainu together with Jun. Uncle Japoy led the back and gritted his teeth angrily at them.

"I trusted you!" He bellowed and the others began to shout too, "You desecrated our village by pillaging Kino's shrine!"

"But it was for a good cause-" Jun cried, but some men grabbed her roughly by the shoulders.

"You!" Uncle Japoy pointed at Jun, "Tao scum! You will pay!"

"Anna! Let go of my girl!" Yoh kicked the guy who tried to grab Anna, "Time for some action, Jun!"

"Li Pai Long!" Jun yelled and Pai Long suddenly appeared out of nowhere, "Fury Cutter!"

"Amidamaru!" Yoh cried and Amidamaru appeared as quickly as Pailong did, "Into the Spirit Sword!"

Li Pai Long released a series of furious kicks onto Jun's captors and Yoh slashed at Anna's. The men tried to restrain them but they were only beaten into a pulp. Anna watched in boredom, clutching Kino's stuff. She kicked on the shin a guy that was about to grab him.

"Wait a sec!" Anna cried, "Where did your Guardian Ghosts go? Why didn't they just show up before?"

"Er…" Amidamaru and Pai Long looked at each other

"Forget that! We need to get out of here right away, Yoh!" Jun yelled over the commotion.

"Not so fast!" Uncle Japoy blocked their path to Jun's Range Rover, "If you're Shamans, so am I! Japoro, into the water gun!"

A Minution that looked a lot like Kororo suddenly appeared and united with the water gun that Uncle Japoy clutched. The townspeople held their ground behind him and the three held their breaths. Uncle Japoy's water gun suddenly illuminated a bright blue light and fired a shot of ice that missed Jun's head by centimeters.

"Go Jun!" Yoh told them, "I'll take care of this."

"No," this time, it was Anna who spoke, "I won't leave you."

"But you have to," Yoh poised himself in fighting stance, "Every minute we're wasting here is putting Pirika's life in the balance. You have to trust me."

"Let's go, Jun," Anna turned her back and whispered, "I trust you, Yoh. Be careful."

Anna and Jun made a run for the Range Rover with Pai Long covering their backs. Yoh grinned at Uncle Japoy and lunged himself forwards.

"Celestial Slash!"

_Hush little baby, don't say a word,  
Mommy's gonna buy you a mockingbird…_

If that mockingbird don't sing,  
Mommy's gonna buy you a diamond ring…

Ren glanced at Pirika in alarm, she had suddenly sat up and was wearing a dazed expression. The singing voice continued in the air. Even Horo and Lun-Lun, who were sleeping on the floor, were wakened by the incessant singing. Pirika suddenly gasped and turned pale; there were tears in her eyes, but she wasn't sobbing.

"Are you ok, Pirika?"

"_If that diamond ring turns brass,  
Mommy's gonna buy you a lookin' glass…_

If that lookin' glass gets broke,  
Mommy's gonna buy you billy goat…"

"Pirika?" Horo came up to his sister and shook her, "What's going on?"

Pirika was whispering the lyrics of the song, her singing intensifying with every line, getting more and more in tune with the woman's voice. Horo backed away from her slowly as Ren tried to snap her out of it, shaking her gently at first and then more vigorously. Pirika shot him a really angry look and slapped him away with more force than she usually had.

"What's going on?" Lun-Lun asked blindly as the others watched Pirika speechlessly.

Pirika rose to her feet and looked at Ren again with the same anger-filled eyes. She lifted her hand towards Ren and made a swishing action. At that moment, Ren was carried by an unknown force and was sent slamming into the wall.

"Don't try and stop me!" Pirika shrieked in a voice unlike her own, "If you do, I will kill you!"

"Onii-chan! Snap out of it!" Horo tried to grab Pirika, but was thrown into a wall as well.

"Pirika…" Ren groaned as Pirika exited the room.

Ren tried to get up and walk. He crawled to the door and caught a glimpse of Pirika making her way to Lian's bedroom. Ren suddenly forgot all the pain and hurried to the room, Horo and Lun-Lun trailing behind him. Pirika was sitting on the bed and tears were once again falling down her cheeks. As soon as Ren stepped in the room, the same icy gusts were felt ans Pirika stared at him wide-eyed.

"Fetch my Kwan Dao, Lun-Lun," Ren said simply.

"What!" Horo yelled at him, "Are you going to turn my sister into a Kebab or something!"

Ren kept silent and approached Pirika. He sat down beside her and took her hand. Pirika gave him a confused look.

"Wo ai ni," he whispered, "I'm sorry if I hurt you tonight."

Pirika pulled her hand away and reached under the bed. She pulled out an ancient chinese dagger. Ren was taken back by this and Horo gave out a cry like a wounded dog's.

"Master Ren!" Lun-Lun had arrived and with her was Manta, Ryu, Anna and Jun.

Pirika backed against the wall, her trembling hand still clutching the dagger. Anna emptied the bag she was clutching and out poured Kino's stuff.

"Kino…" Pirika cried, "Don't try and stop me! I will be with him soon! Wat for me Kino!"

Pirika raised the dagger above her throat and was about to bring it down when Ren and Horo suddenly tackled her and brought her to the floor. Pirika writhed and struggled as Manta and Ryu came to help bring her down.

"Let's do it, Anna," Jun nodded.

Anna took off her _Mala_ and started to chant in an ethereal voice.

"_One I place for my father…_

_Two I place for my mother…_

_Three I place for my brothers back home…_

_Here I offer my flesh to aid your soul's release…_

_Hear my voice at world's end and arise…_

_Hear the sounds of my prayer beads and draw nigh…_

_Ghost of the spirit! Let the dead take flesh!"_

Anna raised her _Mala_ and Kino's stuff started to wiggle and writhe.

"_Integration!"_

Anna suddenly touched the nearest boy with her _Mala_: Ren.

"Lian," Ren's eyes suddenly became soft and gentle, very unlike his own, and spoke in a mild voice, "Lian, it's me."

"Don't come closer!" Pirika got free from the boys' grasp and suddenly used Furioku to lift herself up the air dangling the dagger threateningly centimeters above her neck, "Let me be!"

"Lian, it's me… Kino…" Ren looked up at Pirika, "Stop this now… Please don't do this… We'll be together soon, I promise…"

"No… No…" Pirika started to sob, her lovely blue hair in disarray.

"Lian, if you love me, please stop this!" Ren exclaimed as the others watched in horror as Pirika lashed her arm softly.

Blood began to trickle from the spot where Pirika had lashed it. She began to laugh in a shrill, high-pitched shriek that freaked out even Anna. Ren went down on his knees and said a prayer in Ainu language.

"Lian! Stop! I'm begging you…" Ren raised his hands up, "We'll never be together if you're like this… She's innocent, Lian, you know it… Where has your soul gone? Your spirit may be here, but not your soul!"

"Kino…" Pirika suddenly softened and began descending, "I just want to be with you… Forever…"

"We will be," Kino told her as Pirika completely landed and embraced her, "Thank you, Lian."

"Ok, guys," Anna told them, "It's time for you to get outta there."

Both of them nodded and the spirits left Ren and Pirika's bodies. Pirika swooned and fell to a faint, blood trickling from her wound. The two spirits floated above them, embracing tightly. One was of a beautiful Chinese girl and the other was of a burly Ainu man.

"How can we ever-" Lian began but was interrupted.

"NO! I WON'T ALLOW THIS!"

Grandpa had suddenly appeared on the door, looking very much in rage. His eyes were foggy and creepy as one stared into them, unlike his usually kind ones. He spoke in a woman's voice, a very angry women's voice.

"Grandpa!" Lun-Lun cried, "Oh no…"

"Look what I got from the village, your scum of a friend!" Grandpa brought a fainted Yoh in the room, full of bruises, "I guess he wasn't expecting a master _miko_ to attack him!"

Anna rushed to Yoh and a few unstoppable tears fell from her eyes. Grandpa laughed a cruel, high-pitched woman's laugh.

"Stupid Yoh," she muttered, but the tears still fell.

"What's going on?" Pirika had stirred from her faint.

"YOU WILL NEVER BE TOGETHER!" Grandpa suddenly collapsed and a spirit of a terrible-looking Chinese woman appeared before them, "I WILL MAKE SURE OF IT!"

The spirit began looking for the weakest person in the room. She shifted her eyes from Manta to Pirika and smirked.

**A/N:** Evil Cliffhangers rule! smirks at Chonki Guys, I'm concluding the story in the next chapter! Yep, I know it's short, but it did make a lot of sense somehow! I'm sorry that I won't be replying to your reviews today, I think something's wrong with my ISP or something... Here's the scoop though: I have a new story and it's gonna be really crazy! It's about Hao being Cupid, but he gets a love spell wrong and ends up swapping Yoh and Anna's spirits! But there's a warning though, there'll be Yaoi (RenxHoro), but it was a challenge by Chonki, so I won't refuse! Here are the pairings:

-AnnaxYoh

-HoroxRen (still working on this one… and it'll take a lot of work…)

-MantaxTamao (cute… heheheh…)

-JunxRyu (Jun'll be the one in love with Ryu… hehehe… just read…)

-HaoxPirika (this is a new one, isn't it?)

Guys, tell me what you think about the idea… I'll be posting my next chapter in a few days and the first chapter to my new story together with this! Keep on reviewing! You guys rock!

**Damian and Isha:** This chapter is for our Daddy! Rok' on, Dad!


	9. Life Goes On and On

A/N: Well… here it is… The last chapter to my most successful fic yet… -sniff- I got to hand it to all of you, you've been terrific reviewers! You guys gave me most of the inspiration I needed for this fic! Thanks for everything!

**Yume:** Spare the drama, Pristine, let's get on with the epilogue of Beneath Curiosity!

**PH: **Well, here it is guys! See you in my next fic!

Disclaimer: I do not own Shaman King, like in the first 8 chapters!

Epilogue: Life Goes On and On

Another moment passed, and Pirika was lying on the floor again. She stood up suddenly and flicked her hands. All of them were sent flying into the wall, finding themselves unable to detach themselves from where they have landed.

"Mother! Stop this insanity!" Lian's spirit cried, "Please stop this!"

"Not until you come to your senses, my dear," Pirika looked like she was going mad as she grabbed the fallen dagger from the floor, "Tonight, I will make sure blood is spilt on these grounds. Now, who wants to go first?"

Pirika circled the room and looked at each and every one of them in the eye. Ren stred back bravely at his beloved, mad with the spirit's rage that controlled her. His Kwan Dao was lying useless beside him. He looked into Pirika's eyes and saw a shadow of her old self, begging him to release her from the spirit's grasp. But he was motionless, and he blamed himself for it.

"So, it was you who killed all those girls," Manta figured.

"Haha!" Pirika laughed her mad laugh, "Of course! Who else would it be? I was the one who drove her to the brink of insanity!"

"That's sick," Jun spat at her, she too was struggling to free herself from the bonds of the spirit.

"It's wonderful to think what a spirit could do with all of you, isn't it?" Pirika laughed again, "Now, it would be unfair for me to keep all you Shamans imprisoned, right?"

Pirika snapped her fingers and Horo Horo, Yoh, Ryu and Ren fell out of the spell. Yoh, who was seriously buised before he was thrown to the wall, gasped and fell on his face. Pirika approached him and threw him around the room.

"No! Let go of him!" Anna cried for the first time.

"Now this is what I call weird," Manta gaped at Anna, "Wait a sec, Yoh's just sleeping again."

"This _is_ really getting weird," Jun nodded.

"Enough is enough!" Horo exclaimed, "Kororo! Into the- uh- where's my snowboard?"

"Tough luck!" Pirika flicked her hands again and Horo was sent flying out the room.

"Horokeu!" Lun-Lun bellowed, "Don't… don't do this…"

"Haha! I still live, spirit!" Ryu held his spirit control in an old bedpost lying aorund, "Prepare to meet my wrath!"

"Prepare to meet the window!" Pirika sent Ryu flying out the window and into the ground below.

"Ryu, you ok?" Ren looked down and saw Ryu sprawled spread-eagled on the ground, beaten but intact.

"I'm still alive, Short-pants!" Ryu yelled back at Ren.

"Pirika, I know you're still in there," Ren faced the possessed girl, "Come back to me, fight it! You can do it, Pirika! You're strong!"

"Hah! As if she can hear you!" Pirika laughed cruelly and then his expression changed, "Ren! I can hear you! Help me!" and changed back again, "Whoah! Almost threw me out. But no matter, I shall kill this boy, Tao or no Tao. That is the only punishment for falling in love with an Ainu."

"How dare you!" Lun-Lun was crying, "How dare you kill your own daughter!"

"She deserved it," Pirika threw a nasty look at the two spirits, "And the other one did too. So, are we going to lay around here talking, or are we going to fight?"

"Bason! Into the Kwan Dao!" Ren yellled to his Guardian Ghost.

Bason apppeared from nowhere and entered Ren's Kwan Dao. Ren poised himself in fighting stance, but then slackened.

"But… Pirika…" he whispered, "I… can't do this to Pirika…"

"Ren, snap out of it, you twit!" Jun yelled at her brother, "Are you forgetting something? That's not Pirika! That's an insane spirit!"

"But… I love Pirika…" Ren was still uncertain, "I can't hurt her…"

"Yes," Pirika smirked, playing her mind games, "It would be better for her to die…"

"Don't you dare hurt my Pirika!" Ren glared at her menacingly.

"Oh… So it's your Pirika now, isn't it?" Pirika muttered, "I see what you mean now."

Pirika held the dagger tightly and for the second time that night, held it above her neck.

"I'm sorry about this Pirika, but I have to," Ren lunged himself up the air, "Rapid Tempo Attack!"

Pirika was taken by surprise and took each devastating blow from Ren's Kwan Dao. She got up bruised, but not bloodied. She held the dagger tightly.

"This is enough, someone has to die tonight! Like it has for one thousand years!" Pirika was about to slash herself, something Ren didn't expect.

He tried to reach for her, but he realized he was too late.

"Pirika!"

"STOP IT! STOP!" Lun-Lun bellowed so loudly that Pirika stopped, "It's me you want! Not her!"

"W-what?" Horo stuttered.

"Don't kill her, she's innocent!" Lun-Lun was crying hysterically, "She didn't do anything, I'm the one you want!"

Ren took this as an opportunity and tried to grab the dagger from Pirika's clutches, but ended up being thrown away. Pirika stared intently at Lun-Lun, waiting for her to say what she had to say.

"It was me," Lun-Lun said, sobbing, "I'm the last surviving descendant of Lian Tao. I came from the line of Miko Tao. Don't do this to Pirika, she didn't do anything to you!"

"But that's impossible" Jun cried, "Miko Tao's line was considered unclean and was eradicated centuries ago!"

"No," Lun-Lun told them, "One family survived the purge and I was the result of that. Grandpa took me in and gave me a different identity to protect myself. I've been hiding here all my life. That's why I'm the one who is supposed to die! You've been looking for the girl who would carry on Miko Tao's line all these years! You've been hunting them!"

"Whoah…" Ren stopped to think, "We're related."

"Yes," a cruel smile played on Pirika's lips, "You finally came clean and I will make sure you are finished.

"No you don't…" Horo tried getting up but Pirika slammed him again to the wall, "Ren…"

"Rapid- no!" Ren met the same fate as Horo did and Pirika let go of Lun-Lun's bonds.

"Time to leave this weak body," the spirit left Pirika and the girl collapsed on the floor with a thud, completely exhausted. The spirit went on to enter Lun-Lun.

"Mother…" Lian and Kino watched helplessly as Lun-Lun became possessed.

"Goodbye, great great great great great-" Lun-Lun smiled, "Whatever. Here, catch!"

She threw something red and shiny and Horo caught it. It was the star-ruby broken heart neacklace. Tears fell from Horo's eyes as he watched helplessly.

"Thanks for everything, Horokeu Usui," Lun-Lun faced Horo with tear-stricken eyes, "I will never forget you!"

"Yes, the world will now be rid of these vermin," Lun-Lun cried in a voice not her own, "Miko Tao's line will end with Lun-Lun Tao!"

"NO!" Horo screamed in anguish, struggling to free herself, "Lun-Lun, no..."

In a swift action, Lun-Lun brought the dagger to her neck, slashing it open. Lun-Lun began to choke and even managed to smile, exposing her bloodied teeth. The spirit left the girl to die and writhe in pain. Blood splurted quickly from Lun-Lun's open artery. They were all released from their bonds and rushed to Lun-Lun's side.

"Lun-Lun, don't give up," tears were streaming down Horo's cheeks, "Please don't…"

"I'm sorry, Horokeu," Lun-Lun choked, "I can't hold on much longer. I'll always be beside you… I'm going to watch over you… You have to make it without me, Horo… I'll always love you…"

"Don't talk like this!"

"Yes! Vengence is finally complete!" the angry spirit bellowed over their heads.

"Shut up, you," Anna raised her_ Mala_ and chanted a prayer, "Go to your eternal reast, freak!"

The spirit was laughing like a mental patient as Anna sent him away. Horo looked at Anna angrily and grabbed the front of her shirt.

"What the fuck! Why didn't you do that before?" Horo was tugging at Anna like he was going to wrestle her any minute.

"She wasn't at rest yet, Horo," Anna spoke softly, freeing herself from Horo's insane grasp, "Now, she is. I'm very sorry."

Suddenly, a gasping sound came from Lun-Lun, like she was choking in her own blood. She looked at Horo reproachfully and smiled. She closed her eyes and sighed her last breath.

"Now, for you two," Anna turned to the two other spirits, "I have to send you two back."

"Thank you," Lian told all of them with tears in her eyes, "How can we ever repay all of you?"

"It's our job," Yoh awoke and piped up.

"Return to your eternal peace," Anna waved her _Mala_ and the two spirits vanished.

Grandpa approached all of them and held Lun-Lun's hand. They were all crying, even Anna. Lun-Lun was lying dead in the middle of the floor, her whole body bloodstained from her fate.

"She's done it," Grandpa whispered, "Oh, my sweet Lun-Lun…"

Horo held the girl's cold body in his arms and kissed the corpse goodbye. He screamed out the name of his beloved out into the night.

The next thing Pirika knew, she was lying in a hospital bed with Ren sleeping on the chair beside her, his head facedown on her bed. Her brother was sitting on a chair next to the window, staring into empty space. He wore a tired expression on his face, like he had been crying for the past 72 hours.

"Horo?" Pirika looked at her brother reproachfully, "What happened?"

"She's dead," Horo whispered, "Lun-Lun sacrificed herself to save all of us. She wasn't really a Tao. It turns out, she only wanted to save our lives. She lied to the spirit to put it to rest and save us all."

Pirika was silenced by her brother's sad words. He began to stare out the window again and Ren was stirred from his sleep.

"Pirika! You should go back to bed," Ren told her, "You haven't recovered enough."

"I'm ok, Ren, really," Pirika kissed Ren on the cheek and slumped on her pillow, with Lun-Lun on her mind.

Lun-Lun's funeral was simple, she didn't know many people. She was buried outside the only world she had ever known: The Tao Rest House. Horo was like a zombie all day and Pirika watched him sadly, blaming everything on herself. Ren was at her side, holding her hand. Ren was the only thing separating Pirika from insanity.

The rest of the gang was there and Jun was bellowing her tears out. Anna also looked a bit forlorn and was sobbing into Yoh's jacket. Manta finished a whole box of Kleenex with Ryu and Grandpa. Ren was the only one without any expression on his face, he had only eyes on Pirika, worrying about what she could do to herself. Even their spirits were crying.

"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust," Ren whispered to Pirika when the service ended.

Horo stayed behind, staring at Lun-Lun's grave. Pirika approached him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Itouto…" Pirika said.

"I'm fine," Horo answered, sighing, "I shouldn't waste my life on this, Lun-Lun wouldn't have liked it. But she'll always be in my heart for all of time."

Horo left Pirika and Ren replaced him. Ren hugged the fragile Ainu girl from behind and kissed her cheek. Pirika nuzzled herself in his embrace and sobbed silently.

"It's all my fault," Pirika whispered, "If I was stronger, she shouldn't have died. Horo Horo would've been happy."

"Things like this happen, Pirika," Ren hugged her even tighter, "It's just how life is. Let it all go, Lun-Lun died for a reason. And you know what that reason is. If Lun-Lun wouldn't have died, we would all be."

"Lun-Lun and Horo," Pirika said, "Lian and Kino. Nothing would ever part them, not even death, I suppose. Do you think we could be like that, Ren?"

"We could if we try," Ren let go of her, smiled and took her hand, "It all depends on what life has in store for us. Now, let's go, the others are waiting."

Pirika and Ren walked hand in hand away from Lun-Lun's grave. Pirika took one last look and saw a semi-transparent girl smiling at her from above the tombstone. She returned the smile and turned her head away. She looked up into Ren's eyes and found her sanctuary in them. She knew right away that like Horo Horo and Lun-Lun and Kino and Lian, death cannot separate them both.

But right now, life can only go on.

A/N: Heheheh… Didn't see that coming, did you? Anyways, this fic is finally over, as badly as I didn't want it to end… Guys, thank you all for reviewing and reading my story! Domo arigato gozaimasu! I'm glad to have been of service to you guys for a while! I love to entertain people with my writing and I don't care if I get zero reviews in my next fic! Please read Stupid Cupid and I'd love it if you guys share your comments about it! And as always, as I say every chapter: ROCK ON! See ya!


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